LONG DISTANCE RECALL
DA Padden recall petition drive under way amid scant detail on plans or progress
Wheel problems afoot in Aurora. Cops run campaign to counter auto-pedestrian risks
It took virtually no time at all last week for a motorist on a busy Aurora street to get pulled over and ticketed for endangering a decoy pedestrian who was traversing East Iliff Avenue in a crosswalk.
In the hour or so that reporters watched the police decoy shuffle back and forth across Iliff at South Chambers Road, two motorcycle cops got busy fast during the traffic-safety operation. They barely had time to write a ticket for one scofflaw before an officer monitoring the intersection would flag another driver who encroached impatiently on the acting pedestrian, or drove as if they didn’t even see the guy.
“It’s unbelievable some of the things we see people do,” said veteran Aurora police Sgt. Bill Hummel, talking about both when people are driving or crossing streets.
Hummel said Aurora police regularly run the traffic-safety and sting ops, but they invited reporters last week after a recent spate of auto-pedestrian fatalities across the city.
Within the last few weeks, a 12-year-old boy on a scooter was fatally struck while crossing an Aurora street in a crosswalk marked with flashing lights.
About the same time, a 72-year-old woman was run over by a driver along Havana Street when she fell into a divot in the street while using her walker to cross.
Just after that, an unidentified man crossing Havana on a bicycle was struck by a car and killed.
I don’t know where you all live and work, but everywhere in Aurora and Denver I drive — especially on interstates 25 and 225 — I see things fearless stunt drivers would never attempt. Along Havana, Parker Road and even on Colfax, the sheer quantity of fabulously dangerous and moronic car and pedestrian stunts is so astounding that it makes you want to either never leave the house or Google home remedies for PTSD.
I’ve seen pedestrians suddenly appear from shrubbery in raised medians just to jaywalk across speeding rivers of traffic. I’ve seen ass-hat drivers careen and rapidly pass 70-mile-per-hour heavy traffic on the 55-mile-per-hour interstate in piece-of-crap cars and clearly without the skill set to pull it off.
What the hell is wrong with these people?
Sociology and psychology experts pretty much agree that the psychology of motoring is unique. People act aggressively behind the wheel in ways humans normally behave only in high-stress scenar-
ios, like running for their lives in a mob or trying to get inside a discount store at 2 a.m. on Black Friday amid a crowd of others determined to get one of only five $1 televisions.
The biggest problem is overconfidence, believing you’re a good driver even when you’re trying to text your boss that you’re almost to work in racing rushhour traffic and the sun in your eyes.
You’re not.
Where you’re walking or encountering pedestrians makes a big difference, too.
For years, Aurora was notorious for having places with no sidewalks or interrupted sidewalks along major pedestrian routes. There is virtually no sidewalk on the north side of Parker Road between East Yale and South Havana Street. But there is an RTD bus stop. Pedestrians have to dodge drivers buzzing along in the adjacent strip mall and office parking lots or walk in traffic on Parker Road.
One of the biggest and still uncorrected pedestrian gaffes on the planet is on the southwest corner of Havana and East Iliff Avenue. From the corner of one of the busiest intersections in the city — for both pedestrians and motorists — there is not only no sidewalk along Iliff, but there is a slanted, wide, concrete abutment to the donut shop it borders. On many, many occasions, I have seen pedestrians try to manage the slanted concrete or give up and just walk in speeding traffic on Iliff. On more than one occasion, I’ve been horrified to see people try and manage the stunt in a wheelchair or with walkers or strollers.
Despite the risks and the recent car crashes and fatalities, the city has seen a substantial decline in auto-pedestrian collisions and fatalities. As of Aug. 12, the city marked 172 auto-pedestrian collisions, eight of them fatal. That’s about a third fewer than the same time last year, city officials reported.
But it’s still a huge number of injuries and deaths that are easily prevented. And while pedestrians often make mistakes in jaywalking or walking into traffic, attentive drivers can usually react fast enough to prevent a collision.
But not someone driving like they own the road and the world.
Hummel routinely drives a big, black SUV that doesn’t look like a police car until it’s behind you with the red-and-blue lights flashing. He said that when he’s just moving down the highway like everyone else, not patrolling, he regularly sees motorists blow past him. When they jet by faster than about 20-miles-per over the speed limit, he hits the squad car lights to pull them over.
“You can practically see cheering from the drivers around him, happy to see someone get caught
and reprimanded for doing that stuff,” Hummel said.
He, too, has seen a steady increase over the past several years of motorists and pedestrians pulling stunts of aggressive craziness that used to be remarkable because they were so rare.
Colorado State Patrol famously reported after the pandemic that they took more calls about aggressive driving than they did about drunken driving, across the state.
Hummel thinks it’s mostly because people got used to virtually cop-less streets during the pandemic, and an increasing predisposition to driving and walking while distracted, mostly by cell phones.
“Pay attention,” Hummel cautioned drivers. “We’re asking people to put down their phones. Slow down.”
Pedestrians need, also, to attentively walk and cross the streets defensively.
He pointed out car-crash details they drill into everyone that police pull over for tickets, warnings, or even heavy scolding. Hummel said that people hit by a car traveling 20 miles an hour have about a 95% chance of surviving the crash. People hit by a car traveling 40 miles an hour have about the same odds — of being killed.
Speeding makes a huge difference, especially in neighborhoods where the loss of those couple of seconds that can allow for a driver to brake or swerve is almost always lost, along with a life.
Despite the regular, state-funded motorcycle-sting operations, these cops mostly offer a limited but mighty public-education campaign.
Last week at Chambers Road brought six warnings and a ticket for no car insurance in about an hour. The day before, on East Colfax Avenue, the team wrote 22 pedestrian violation summonses and six motorist summonses for failing to yield to pedestrians.
Hummel said he mostly warns pedestrians and scolds motorists who don’t give pedestrians much space.
“We just want people to learn that the mistakes they’re making can be deadly,” Hummel said of both pedestrians and drivers.
He said neither he nor other officers usually hand out jaywalking tickets or citations for wandering into traffic, especially when it involves homeless people.
“That doesn’t do anyone any good,” he said. Instead, he usually hands out warnings and a heavy dose of “you could have been killed, and you just may be next time.”
Follow @EditorDavePerry on BlueSky, Threads,Mastodon,TwitterandFacebookorreach himat303-750-7555ordperry@SentinelColorado. com
DAVE PERRY Editor
An Aurora police decoy pedestrian crosses East Iliff Avenue and Chambers Road Aug. 22, 2025 as part of a police operation to make motorists and pedestrians aware of risks and solutions.
The car in the photo encroached on the space of the decoy and was pulled over by police and given a warning. SENTINEL COLORADO
Crow, state Dems demand answers from Trump team about Aurora ICE facility
‘THE
INEVITABLE DELAYS CAUSED BY ROUTING OUR QUESTIONS THROUGH OCR … PREVENT MEANINGFUL OVERSIGHT FROM TAKING PLACE IN A TIMELY MANNER’
BY SENTINEL STAFF WRITERS
Four members of Colorado’s Democratic congressional delegation are demanding answers from the Trump administration after immigration officials were unable to provide basic information during an oversight visit to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Aurora earlier this month.
In a letter sent this week to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting ICE Director Patrick Lyons, Aurora Democratic Rep. Jason Crow, alongside Democratic representatives Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse and Brittany Pettersen outlined a sweeping list of 22 questions about the facility’s operations, ranging from detainee population counts to medical staffing and reports of self-deportation pressure.
The House members said their Aug. 11 visit to the GEO Group–operated Aurora detention facility left them with few answers despite repeated attempts to obtain information.
“In making our intent to visit known, we also requested that ICE personnel attend the visit in order to receive and respond to our questions in a fulsome manner,” the members said in the letter. “Despite the Department ‘vetting’ this request and sending multiple staff from ICE to this visit, they failed to have staff present who could answer the majority of the questions and repeatedly encouraged us to instead email ICE’s Office of Congressional Relations.”
Crow said that practice hinders his ability to conduct meaningful oversight.
“The inevitable delays caused by routing our questions through OCR … prevent meaningful oversight from taking place in a timely manner,” lawmakers wrote.
Questions about detainee conditions
The six-page letter seeks details about who is being held at the Aurora facility, how detainees are classified, and whether detainees have been subjected to water outages, air conditioning failures, or changes in access to phone calls and legal assistance.
Among the questions:
• The total population of detainees, sorted by gender.
• The percentage of detainees who do not have violent criminal convictions.
• The frequency and duration of water and air conditioning outages this summer.
• Costs that detainees must pay for phone calls and restrictions on phone access.
• The number of medical and mental health staff on-site and average wait times for care.
• How often detainees are placed in segregation and for how long.
The lawmakers also cited reports that detainees have been pressured by ICE staff to self-deport, sometimes through repeated visits late at night. They asked whether such practices are sanctioned by agency policy and whether detainees are fully informed of the legal consequences of voluntary return.
A sign Crow and others saw posted in the facility last week read: “Do you want to return home? Requesting to return home now may give you the opportunity to legally enter the United States in the future.”
The delegation asked whether ICE officers follow a script when detainees inquire, and what languages the program is available in.
Oversight battles
The Aurora detention center has long been a flashpoint for debates over immigration enforcement, detainee treatment and congressional oversight. Crow, a former Army Ranger first elected in 2018, said he has visited the facility 10 times since taking office, and his staff has logged more than 70 visits. He regularly publishes reports on conditions inside.
In July, Crow sued the Trump administration after DHS denied him access for an unannounced visit, which he argued violated a federal law guaranteeing members of Congress immediate access to detention facilities.
The August tour, unlike the denied July visit, was announced in advance. That episode launched a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration.
Crow also has bi-partisan introduced legislation known as the Public Oversight of Detention Centers Act, which would codify the right of lawmakers and staff to make both announced and unannounced inspections. He previously pushed for the protections to be included in federal appropriations bills, but the standalone legislation would make them permanent.
“Whether an oversight visit is announced or unannounced, ICE is seemingly more prepared to ensure the spaces we see are mopped — in our case by detainees themselves — than they are with answering members’ questions regarding the treatment of individuals held in detention,” delegation members said in their letter.
The lawmakers set a deadline of Sept. 5 for the administration to respond.
Homeland Security and ICE officials were not immediately available for comment.
Expansion concerns
The Colorado Democrats also raised questions about potential expansion of immigration detention in the state. The letter asks ICE to confirm whether the Aurora facility will add nearly 200 beds, increasing capacity from 1,360 to 1,530 and whether additional facilities are under contract or consideration.
They pointed to local news reports that the former Hudson Correctional Facility in Weld County has been contracted for immigration detention and requested details on who would operate it, its capacity and funding. They also cited media reports that two other Colorado facilities at the former
Huerfano County Correctional Center in Walsenburg and the Southern Ute Indian Adult Detention Center in Ignacio could be used to house immigrant detainees.
The delegation asked for confirmation of those reports and disclosure of contract terms.
History of scrutiny
The Aurora facility, one of the largest ICE detention centers, is operated by Florida-based private prison company GEO Group under contract with ICE. It has drawn scrutiny for years from activists, local officials and members of Congress over health care, staffing, and treatment of detainees.
In recent years, complaints have surfaced about inadequate medical care, long waits for treatment and deaths of detainees.
More recently, attorneys and immigrant rights advocates have raised alarms about access to legal counsel and the cost of phone calls.
In their letter, the Colorado congressional lawmakers noted that detainees are required to sign privacy release forms in order to communicate with their congressional offices. They said ICE staff recently prevented them from obtaining those forms during oversight visits, creating new struggles for casework.
“Efforts to create lags in the time it takes for members, and our staff, to gain access to this facility or to mail privacy release forms back and forth solely serves to delay this process until an individual has inevitably been transferred to another facility or been discouraged from seeking assistance,” according to the letter.
The delegation’s latest move es-
calates an ongoing clash with the Trump administration over congressional oversight. Crow has argued that the administration is unlawfully restricting access to federal facilities, while DHS has defended its procedures as necessary for security and scheduling.
For the four Democratic representatives, the Aurora detention center has become a focal point in their calls for transparency in immigration enforcement.
“Immigration detention facilities demand oversight and accountability to ensure that detainees are treated with dignity and respect,” the lawmakers wrote.
Crow said in July after being turned away from the Aurora ICE center that the clear effort of the Trump administration to conceal what they don’t want the public to see is only made worse by the recent behavior of ICE agents under Trump orders.
“They’re denying people fundamental due process rights, Crow said. “There are confirmed incidents around the country of federal agents showing up in unmarked vans without markings on their clothes, wearing masks and snatching people off of street corners because they look different or in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
He said with so much distraction and disinformation, the impromptu inspections are more critical than ever.
“I mean, this is such deeply troubling stuff, “ Crow said. “It goes to the foundation of what the founders of this country were concerned about. That’s why they put habeas corpus as one of the prominent parts of our constitution.”
PROTEST: Protesters turn out July 6, 2025 to the Aurora GEO ICE facility in northwest Aurora . SENTINEL FILE PHOTO
METRO
AROUND AURORA
Aurora Council meeting erupts amid debate over
Human Relations Commission dissolution
After a tumultuous Aurora City Council meeting Aug. 25, lawmakers might not eliminate the Aurora’s Human Relations Commission after accusations were made that the proposed dissolution was just an act of “retribution.”
“This whole process started because Council directed staff to consolidate and or eliminate boards and commissions to save money,” Councilmember Curtis Gardner said during the meeting. “That’s clearly not what this is, because all the rest of the eliminations that were up for a vote last time, none of them moved forward, other than the (Independent Review Board). Based upon the reasons given tonight, this is clearly retribution.”
The long-standing commission and numerous other city panels have for months been facing possible elimination under a comprehensive review focusing on efficiency and savings to the ailing city budget.
The HRC’s mission and focus has been as a wide-ranging sounding board for community issues linked to the city’s diversity, race-relations and life-quality for people with disabilities.
Two weeks ago, city lawmakers agreed on a narrow vote to dissolve the commission.
On Monday night, the debate resurfaced among accusations, primarily lodged by Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky, of city commission rife with partisanship, financial mismanagement, and disrespect. Proponents of keeping the HRC said those arguments appeared to be contrived as some kind of personal vendetta against the mission or members, and that the HRC remains one of the city’s more active and valuable community bodies.
The city council does not meet in person, a decision arrived at amid a year-long public battle among city lawmakers and city-council-chamber protesters. The protests are linked to lawsuits and demands of discipline against police for the 2024 officer-involved shooting of Kilyn Lewis.
The HRC rebuttal started Monday night with Amy Wiles, the HRC chairperson, speaking during public comment and breaking down the monthly cost of the HRC to the city, which is approximately $1,200 with staff time included. She explained that the volunteers’ work almost doubles what the city receives.
“The combined value of the HRC volunteer hours through meetings and events totals $18,619 annually,” she said. “This represents a savings for the city of $6,619. This figure does not include additional time we spend preparing for events, coordinating with nonprofits or engaging directly with community members. The HRC plays a vital role in building bridges, fostering community connections and representing Aurora’s commitment to its diverse population.”
The boiling point came after Mayor Mike Coffman made a motion to switch the monthly commission to quarterly instead of eliminating it.
Councilmember Steve Sundberg immediately said that he had an issue with the group donating $2,000 to The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, a nonprofit organization that offers legal services to immigrants.
Jurinsky then said that she had an issue with the group having “put on” a “partisan” candidate event and only inviting one party, referring to the group’s minutes from May 7. She referred to a city council candidate-related event. The Aurora City Council is not a partisan board and those elected do not disclose their political parties on ballots, although partisan politics
has played a prominent role in the city council for the last several years.
“They held and promoted a partisan candidate gathering that alone, right there, should be automatic grounds for termination of this commission,” Jurinsky said.
Wiles, a registered Democrat, is also currently running for city council against the incumbent Sundberg, a registered Republican, in Ward III. Jurinsky, a registered Republican, is also running as an at-Large incumbent this fall.
In the meeting minutes for May 7, there is a section that lists upcoming events. The list includes “council candidate this Friday” at 6 p.m. at Parkside Eatery. This event was advertised on social media and on fliers as a candidate get-together for area Democrats. However, it was not publicly sponsored nor promoted by the HRC in any way, HRC members said.
The HRC also did not fund it, Wiles said. She said the event was brought up in the meeting and added to the minutes. Other events were also listed, including ones that the HRC doesn’t sponsor or promote.
The events listed in the minutes from May included an HRC-sponsored and funded Know Your Rights event, a partially sponsored Global Fest, and an HRC-sponsored and partially funded Aurora Pride event.
The events also listed a virtual presentation from the Community Advisory Council (CAC), which is a part of the Aurora Consent Decree, and is not sponsored or publicly promoted by the HRC.
Jurinsky went on to list her additional complaints.
‘It is absolutely unacceptable for a committee member of any committee to be so publicly disrespectful, quite frankly, towards council members in their role as a Human Relations Commissioner,” Jurinsky said.
Jurinsky has repeatedly criticized former commissioner Aaron Futrell for calling her and Sundberg “out of touch” in a 2023 Facebook post.
Wiles said Jurinsky once called her directly and demanded she “shut him up” or risk seeing the HRC abolished. The comments were tied to email exchanges made available to the Sentinel between Wiles and Jurinsky that date back to November 2024.
Futrell later left the commission but continues to volunteer. Jurinsky acknowledged in recent emails that Futrell is no longer a member, but she has continued to cite his behavior in her criticisms of the HRC.
“Mr. Futrell has not been on this commission in two years,” Councilmember Alison Coombs said later in the meeting in response to Jurinsky’s claims. “So if you’re trying to say that his behavior is a reason to abolish this commission, he’s not even on this commission.”
Jurinsky said that the commission activist pointed out in the minutes that they had a vote to spend $250 on snacks for a Know Your Rights event.
“Essentially, to help people evade law enforcement, which is an exact policy of a sanctuary city,” Jurinsky said. “This commission has turned totally to activism, to hatred, to divisiveness. Supporting everything that this council goes against, that this council has voted for, that this council has stood for. This commission has been hijacked.”
Commissioners are appointed by the city council and essentially serve at their pleasure, according to city rules.
The events typically have the Aurora Police Department in attendance, Coombs said. The Aurora Police have done multiple Know Your Rights events, including one in February, with Police Chief Todd Chamberlain recently partnering with the African Leadership Group and
Congressman Jason Crow to host one.
“It is important that our community members understand their legal rights,” Coombs said. “When we live in a diverse community where people may be subject to unique legal situations, we should be making sure that they know their legal rights, and that’s not a sanctuary policy to make sure people know their legal rights.”
Gardner, Coffman and Coombs all reminded fellow city lawmakers that they can change rules and appoint the commissioners as they see fit.
“We have the ability to control the bylaws,” Gardner said. “We have the ability to control who sits on the commission. So if we don’t like those things, change them. But to single out one board and commission for elimination under the guise of efficiency is disingenuous at best.”
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ARAPAHOE COUNTY
Offices Closed
Arapahoe County Offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 1 in observance of the Labor Day holiday.
High Line Canal Trail Improvements Meeting
Come learn about the canal resurfacing project, and improvements to the trail between Quebec Street and Parker Road, accessibility, amenities, vegetation management, trail closures, detours and project schedule.
Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 | 5–6 p.m. on Zoom
Register to attend the virtual meeting at bit.ly/HLC_Meet. Visit
.
Councilmembers Sundberg, Françoise Bergan and Stephanie Hancock vocally supported Jurinksy, citing the same reasons for eliminating the group as her.
Councilmember Amsalu Kassaw voted to eliminate the commission during the last meeting but stayed silent this meeting after Wiles revealed a letter of support he wrote for the commission.
“Thank you so much for reaching out and, of course, for doing such a fantastic job engaging with the community,” Councilmember Amsalu Kassaw wrote in a letter to the HRC, according to Wiles. “Your commitment to bringing people together is truly appreciated. Please continue to do the great work we are here to support each other and building a stronger and more connected community.”
Councilmember Angela Lawson said she served on the HRC briefly, and she remembers the history and mission after talking to Barbara Shannon-Bannister, a founder of the HRC. She said she might not always agree with the group, but she does think many of the programs are beneficial.
“I feel like Councilmember Jurinsky’s comments kind of alluded to the true intention in trying to eliminate this commission,” Councilmember Crystal Murillo said. “I think we’re clear that this is one of our more active commissions, very involved for a number of years. And I don’t understand why I would get rid of it.”
The task of determining the commission’s future was postponed until a Sept. 22 council meeting, allowing time for city staff to make changes to suggest to council.
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer Crow, Bennet talk Trump, taxes, Medicaid and more at Aurora town hall meeting
As congresspeople take a break from Washington, two particular lawmakers have spent a lot of time doing town halls in their districts and in Colorado.
Democrats Rep. Jason Crow and Sen. Michael Bennet held an in-person town hall in Aurora Aug. 22 at Smoky Hill High School, marking their third joint town hall this year.
The local crowd of about 500 people included some who yelled or voiced frustration that the lawmakers weren’t doing enough. Two people were asked to leave, including a protester in support of Palestine. Both officials told their constituents they were using every tool available to them.
Both Crow and Bennet have come under fire in recent months for having accepted campaign donations from pro-Israel groups in light of what has become frequently called “genocide” and now, a famine.
Both Crow and Bennet have called out Israeli government policies and decisions linked to the treatment of Gaza residents during the war.
“As a representative of the 6th district and of this community, there is no job that’s more important than protecting the people of this community,” Crow said. “That is where it starts and ends with me. That is my North Star. That is my oath.”
Federal Budget and Tax
Policy
“The worst piece of legislation that we ever voted on,” Crow said about the Big Beautiful Bill.
This year, Coloradans were supposed to get a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) refund because the state had a surplus when the budget was balanced. Then the so-called ‘Beautiful Bill’ created a $1 billion or more state budget deficit, in part because of the way Colorado ties its taxes to the federal government.
Bennet said that the recent legislation passed by the administration and Republican lawmakers hurts Colorado’s fiscal health. The bill cut billions from essential services while adding $3 trillion to the national debt to benefit the wealthiest Americans, he said.
“It’s crazy,” Bennet said.
Democracy and Oversight
Crow said that preserving democracy, given the Trump administration’s actions, will require constant oversight.
He said that his work monitoring federal facilities, particularly the ICE detention center in Aurora, is a top priority.
“So what you can expect from me as your representative is that I will be all in on this,” Crow said. “I am using every tool at my disposal: legislating, budgeting, oversight.”
Oversight has become harder due to blockades from the current majority, Crow said. Citizen oversight is becoming very important, and citizens can help by acting as watchdogs, as part of an effort to help him and other politicians trying to stand up to Trump, Crow said.
“You all have become our eyes and ears on the ground,” Crow said. ‘“All of this is going to become critical.”
>>>>BBB>>>>Military Oversight
Crow said the president’s abuse of military authority has been “astonishing,” in response to concerns about potential misuse of the military.
Democrats have been extremely critical of Trump’s use of military personnel sent to Washington D.C. to address homelessness and crime problems.
Crow said he is working with colleagues to impose guardrails through appropriations and legislation to prevent further abuses.
Neither lawmakers directly answered questions about concerns that Trump might bring direct military force to Aurora in the near future. On Friday, Trump told reporters he’s looking next at Chicago for military enforcement.
Government Efficiency
Crow said that sensible reform was needed rather than dismantling government functions. Cutting civil servants in key roles such as aviation safety and firefighting is “incredibly dangerous” and risks severe consequences for Americans, Crow said.
Inefficient government is why the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was created, he said.
“The remedy is not to just destroy it all and burn it all down, but to actually have a sensible reform agenda,” he said.
Crow used the Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2023, as an example of how the government was able to find more efficient ways to get work done, rather than inefficient government processes, like making residents wait eight years just to build a bridge.
Social Security and Medicaid
Questions about Social Security’s future and what lawmakers are doing about it possibly drying up allowed Bennet to say he would want to raise income caps to sustain Social Security.
The Trump administration is currently talking about efforts to privatize Social Security,” Crow said, and he thinks everyone should take those talks seriously.
Both lawmakers said they were concerned about proposed Medicaid cuts, which they said would devastate rural hospitals and health centers.
“These cuts to Medicaid are going to demolish our rural hospitals and our rural health centers, and those are also going to be deeply unpopular when the American people see the result,” Bennet said. “We need to remind people where it came from, which was Donald Trump’s legislation.”
Crow said that cuts to Medicaid will cause devastating outcomes to the research being done at the Anschutz Medical Campus, which has a $13 billion economic impact and relies on $360 million annually for medical research.
“We’re fighting like hell just to maintain that funding and to keep what we already have, which is life and death for a lot of folks,” Crow said.
Campaign Finance and Gerrymandering
Both lawmakers said they were frustrated with the influence of Citizens United and gerrymandering on American politics.
Citizens United is a Republican group that won a Supreme Court ruling in 2010, allowing wealthy donors, corporations and special interest groups to be considered “individuals” and have First Amendment rights and the ability to spend money on campaigns.
Crow said if he had a “magic wand” to fix one issue, it would be campaign finance reform and redistricting.
There are now fewer than 40 “truly competitive” districts in the House of Representatives, accounting for less than 10% of the House, Crow said.
“You have deep red out of deep blue districts,” Crow said. “And what happens is there’s zero incentive to collaborate. There’s zero incentive in those districts to work together and compromise.”
Bennet said he has sponsored bills to ban gerrymandering and to prevent members of Congress from becoming lobbyists. The system has been corrupted by billionaires threatening to spend heavily against lawmakers who support reform through a corrupt “quid pro quo,” he said.
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer
Aurora City Council shifted court administrator authority to the city manager’s office
The Aurora City Council approved a measure Monday that would transfer control of the city’s court administrator from the city council to the city manager’s office.
Under the Aurora Charter, the court administrator currently reports directly to the city council, one of only four positions. The administrator leads the city’s court administration office.
The ordinance was approved on first reading Monday by a seven-to-three vote, with council members Danielle Jurinsky, Steve Sundberg and Amsalu Kassaw opposed.
The ordinance said the change is intended to “streamline operations and align with best practices.” The administrator’s pay and benefits will still ultimately be set by city council, and staffing will remain tied to the city’s annual budget process.
Almost every other department in the city is placed under the city manager’s office, including the Aurora Police De-
partment. Officials stated that the court system’s move was intended to create better oversight and to align the department more closely with the rest of the city’s departments.
This move followed a Management and Policy Finance Committee meeting in July, which raised a plethora of unanswered questions after an audit of the court administration office.
During the July meeting, City Auditor Michelle Crawford said that a review had previously identified significant technological weaknesses and poor cash handling practices.
In July, it was also reported that detention staff had adopted a policy using a triplicate receipt book and drop safe for cash bonds.
Councilmember Curtis Gardner said he was concerned about an outdated system and asked why Aurora, the nation’s 49th largest city, continues to rely on outdated tools.
“I am curious as to why we are still using outdated, unreliable technology like a triplicate receipt book for detention receipts,” Gardner said, who previously managed a local credit union. “Books can get lost. There are a multitude of different things that can happen to them.”
At the Aug. 7 Management and Finance Policy Committee, Crawford reported progress on Court Administration reforms, including new policies for detention cash handling and case management.
“Implemented in the last 30 days is the policies and procedures for detention and case management, which suggest cashing checks and card tampering as well,” Crawford said.
Crawford said that there were still unresolved issues with a formal vending machine vendor contract, system reports and broader financial system controls.
During the meeting, Candice Atkinson, the court administrator, told the committee and city council members that the court is working to install Clover payment devices, which are integrated with the city’s Teller and Workday systems, to improve reporting and audit trails. She said that many reports already existed in the system but had to be converted to PDF format by the court’s IT staff so that they could be requested and printed on demand by the auditor’s office.
Councilmember Françoise Bergan asked Atkinson whether she had been able to find a third-party financial system audit, which the committee requested in the July meeting. Atkinson said she had reached out to four but was still waiting to hear back from any of them.
Kyle Peterson, senior programmer analyst for Aurora, informed the council members that while some processes remain manual, the city’s new Workday financial platform, combined with the Teller cashiering system, should provide enhanced reporting and audit trails going forward.
“Teller in the middle does provide a lot of the reports that we’re looking for,” Peterson said.
Peterson said that integration with Wells Fargo devices and kiosk payment options is also underway.
“We were hoping to implement, possibly, some kiosks and some more ways for people to make payments,” Peterson said. “This whole process hasn’t really been looked at for a long time. It was mostly kind of manual, and so I’m working with all the appropriate groups to try and get something set up and hopefully get this all streamlined.”
The measure must win a second round of city council approval votes before it can take effect.
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer
DA Padden recall petition drive under way amid scant detail on plans or progress
BY CASSANDRA BALLARD, Sentinel Staff Writer
The petition drive for Amy Padden’s recall has officially started, but how it will finish is unclear at best.
Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky and the rest of the recall committee have a little more than one month to collect 75,875 valid signatures. Petition drive experts said another 30% more signatures are likely needed to ensure enough valid signatures can be approved by election officials.
Recalls in Colorado are relatively rare, and recalls of district attorneys are even more rare.
In the last 15 years, there have been between seven and 13 recall attempts annually across the state. They can include school board and city council members, sheriffs, mayors, county commissioners, coroners, state House representatives, senators and any other elected officials, including the governor.
There have been three attempted recalls of Gov. Jared Polis, with none of them making it to the ballot.
Colorado is one of 19 states that allow for the recall of state and local elected officials, according to the Colorado General Assembly.
In the last 10 years, between 66% and 80% of attempted recalls have not resulted in a recall election, according to Ballotpedia, which tracks recalls through the secretaries of state websites nationwide.
“A recall effort is considered official if the petitioning party has filed an official form, such as a notice of intent to recall, with the relevant election agency,” Ballotpedia stated.
The petition drive started on Aug. 1, and the deadline to collect the required valid signatures is Sept. 30.
The proponents for the recall are Jurinsky, Judy Lutkin and Suzanne Taheri.
Jurinsky declined to comment on progress made so far in collecting signatures.
Ludkin was previously an officer for the Aurora Police Department, and she sits on the Aurora Civil Service Commission for the City of Aurora. The commission is the group that oversees the hiring and promotions of Aurora Firefighters and the police.
Taheri was the Colorado Deputy Secretary of State for seven years, where she worked on election issues and chaired the state Initiative title-setting board. Last year, she represented Republican Mayor Mike Coffman in a failed 2023 effort to ask voters to create a different form of Aurora government. Taheri has connections to the Advance Colorado, a GOP dark-money nonprofit that typically funds elections and does not disclose its donors, according to reporting from the Colorado Sun.
Taheri told the Sentinel that the committee had no plans to pay a canvassing group to gain signatures. For the last month, Jurinsky has been advertising times for people to come to her Aurora bar, JJ’s Place, 2340 S. Chambers Road, to sign the petition.
Prior Colorado recall attempts
In 2024, there was an attempted recall for Gor-
don McLaughlin, the 8th Judicial District Attorney, which includes Larimer and Jackson counties. The proponents needed 52,858 signatures to get a recall question on the ballot, but they fell short. Although the population of Jackson and Larimer counties combined is smaller than that of Arapahoe County, with 1,379 people in Jackson County and 359,066 people in Larimer County in 2020, according to the Census, McLaughlin ran during a presidential election year in 2020, and had high voter turnout.
Recalls require county elected officials to get 25% of the total votes cast at the last preceding general election for that office. No financial committee was created to recall McLaughlin in 2024. However, a new attempt was made this year, and a financial committee has already raised more than $2,000 without filing with the Secretary of State to begin the recall petition.
Colorado state Sen. Kevin Priola was recalled in 2022 in Adams County after he switched political parties from being a Republican to a Democrat. The petition required only 18,291 valid signatures. The recall committee raised $116,000 and paid Victor’s Canvassing to gather the signatures. Advance Colorado organized and funded the committee, along with Dawn Colorado, another dark money GOP group that was the sole donor to Mayor Mike Coffman’s strong mayor ballot initiative, according to the Colorado Sun’s reporting and the Secretary of State’s Transparency in Contribution and Expenditure Reporting website. Priola’s recall was halted and moved after Priola changed state Senate districts because of a redistricting process.
So far, there has been no report that Advance Colorado or any group is funding Padden’s recall.
The only three successful recalls in the last two decades include two Democratic state senators, John Morse and Angela Giron, after they supported stricter gun laws in 2013, and a sheriff, Jarod Poley, this summer in Jackson County, after he arrested a high school principal for refusing to give him information about a student.
The final successful recall was in Dillon, where three council members were recalled after they approved an extensive development proposal that town residents found concerning.
Statement for grounds
For the recall, the proponents were required to submit a statement outlining their grounds for the action. Padden was then able to provide a statement of justification, which is all listed on the Secretary of State’s website.
The proponent’s statement begins with talking about the case of the death of Kaitlyn Weaver, a 24-year-old woman who was struck and killed in July 2024 by a noncitizen 15-year-old male. The juvenile was reported to be driving faster than 90 miles per hour in a residential area and without a license in 2024, according to CBS News and Jurinsky, who posted the report on her Facebook account and her X account while demanding a recall of Padden, May 16.
“In the tragic case
of Kaitlyn Weaver, a vibrant 24-year-old Aurora resident, her life was senselessly ended by a 15-year-old, in this country illegally, driving 90 mph in a residential neighborhood,” the recall statement said. “He received just three years’ probation in a plea deal handed out by District Attorney Amy Padden. Justice for Kaitlyn and her family demands accountability.”
Padden is the District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District, where the juvenile was taken for court, and the judge on the case was one who chose to sentence the juvenile to three years of probation. Padden won the seat last November and took over the office in January. Since the case involved a juvenile, Arapahoe County DA officials say they are unable to release any court documents, citing restrictions under state law.
The Denver Gazette reported in May that the boy and his family have since been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The recall statement accuses Padden of mishandling another case, which involved Jurinsky and her family.
“A county social worker, Robin Niceta, convicted of seven felonies and three misdemeanors, also received a mere three years’ probation,” the statement said.
In this case, Niceta worked for Arapahoe County as a social worker and falsely accused Jurinsky of child abuse. At the time, Niceta was dating a former Aurora police chief, and Jurinsky speculated that Niceta acted in anger after Jurinsky publicly criticised the police chief.
Because Niceta worked for Arapahoe County, the prosecution was required to have the Denver District Attorney’s office prosecute her case. Niceta was charged in November 2023 with a felony for attempting to influence a public servant, a social services employee, and a misdemeanor for falsely reporting child abuse. She was convicted of four years and six months of jail time.
Before her conviction, Niceta tried to delay the case by faking a severe brain cancer diagnosis, a court later determined.
She pleaded guilty to seven charges in that crime, with two counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of forgery and conspiracy, one count of tampering with evidence, one count of criminal impersonation and two counts of forgery. Three charges were dismissed.
Sentences for Niceta’s charges for faking cancer run concurrently with each other, but consecutively to her previous case, Eric Ross, public information officer for the 18th Judicial District, said in an email.
The jail time added to each charge was suspended in lieu of three years of successful probation, according to court documents. The judge in the case decided the sentencing for Niceta’s charges. Denver attorneys, not those under the Arapahoe County DA, represented the people in the first case against Jurinsky. It was the 18th district prosecutors who took up the second case. Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris
Gallo requested that the judge impose a prison sentence in the case, not probation, according to court documents.
Recall supporters point to other justifications for their goal.
“Amy Padden further undermined trust by dismissing charges against two activists who defied police orders, blocking a major road during a protest,” the statement said.
This statement is referring to a Kilyn Lewis peace march, Dec. 8, in honor of Lewis, who was an unarmed Black man shot and killed by an Aurora SWAT officer in 2024. Lewis was being pursued as a suspect for a shooting in Denver. During the march, protesters were said to have blocked a section of East Alameda Avenue, according to city officials.
Those marching included MiDian Shofner, an activist who has been protesting inside of city council meetings for the last year in a call for police firings in the shooting death of Kilyn Lewis.
Schofner was arrested along with another protester after moving the march onto Alameda. She said she informed one officer about the march and was given the impression that the police were going to block cross streets to help protect the marchers.
Court documents for Schofner’s hearing stated that “justice would not be further served by continued prosecution of the defendant because the evidence does not support continued prosecution in the case.”
Most cases in Colorado where protesters block major roadways have been dismissed in court since 2020, a search of court records shows. The five people who blocked the highway to protest the wrongful death of Elijah McClain, a young Black man who was restrained by Aurora Police without committing a crime and given a lethal dose of ketamine by Aurora paramedics, were all dismissed by the 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason. Hundreds of protesters shut down I-225 during a massive protest linked to the deaths of McClain and George Floyd. The only charges in the event were linked to shots fired.
Jurinsky taunted Shofner on a social media post and a local live-stream talk show, offering to hold a staged physical fight to resolve their political differences.
One of the last arguments in the recall grounds statement ends with a topic Jurinsky has brought up many times on social media.
“Padden also plans to dismiss charges in an attempted child kidnapping case, potentially releasing a mentally incompetent registered sex offender back into our community despite her authority to hold them in state custody until fit for trial.
Padden directly addressed this statement in her response to the Secretary of State.
“Where I have identified weaknesses in the system, I have implemented new processes in the office and sought reform where appropriate,” she said in the statement. “For example, in cases where mental
Amy Padden
Danielle Jurinsky
A long list of reads for shorter days
THE FALL’S 10 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS, FROM PYNCHON TO PRESLEY
BY HILLEL ITALIE AP NATIONAL WRITER
Fall books mean more than literary fiction. The top releases this season range from a fairy tale newly told to memoirs about a famous writer’s indomitable mother and life after marriage to a famous rock star. Some books were a decade or more in the making, while former Vice President Kamala Harris’ “107 Days” was finished in a matter of months.
Here are 10 new books to look for.
“Hansel and Gretel,” Stephen King
You may think you know the Grimms’ fairy tale about two children lost in the woods. But a new edition this fall promises a fresh and modern take: the words are by Stephen King and the illustrations from the archives of the late Maurice Sendak, who had worked on a 1990s opera adaptation. Warns King in the book’s introduction: “You will say that I have taken liberties with the story told by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm — I have, and I don’t apologize.” (Sept. 2)
Mother Mary Comes to Me,” Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy’s memoir offers anguished tribute to her longtime tormentor and heroine: her late mother, Mary Roy, the educator and activist who founded a renowned high school in India and otherwise rarely missed a chance to disparage but still inspire her famous daughter. “I had constructed myself around her,” the author writes. “I had grown into the peculiar shape that I am to accommodate her. I had never wanted to defeat her, never wanted to win. I had always wanted her to go out like a queen.” (Sept. 2)
“The Wilderness,” Angela Flournoy
Angela Flournoy’s acclaimed debut, “The Turner House,” was set around an aging family home in Detroit. In “The Wilderness,” she traces the cross-country lives of five Black women from youth to middle age. The author also offers a minitour of airports, from the underwhelming sites of landing at Charles de Gaulle in Paris to the view of pyramids in Cairo. A universal truth, she writes: “If the surrounding city has a decent Black population, then a good number of them will be working at the airport.” (Sept. 16)
“107 Days,” Kamala Harris
Publisher Simon & Schuster is promising a compelling campaign memoir from former Vice President Kamala Harris that addresses “everything we would want her to address.” That presumably includes Harris’ thoughts on the mental and physical condition of President Joe Biden, whose decision to withdraw his candidacy led to Harris’ historic, frantic and unsuccessful run against Republican Donald Trump. Harris has called the book, written with the assistance of Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Geraldine Brooks, the result of looking back “with candor and reflection.” (Sept. 23)
“The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny,” Kiran Desai
Kiran Desai’s first novel in nearly 20 years, since her Booker Prize-winning “The Inheritance of Loss,” is on the Booker longlist and is also a story of contrasting lives: a successful novelist returning to her native India and a New York-based journalist — a copy editor for, of all places, The Associated Press. (Desai has not yet named a real-life counterpart as inspiration.) Separated by geography, they are connected by the will of their families, who would very much like to arrange a marriage. (Sept. 23)
“Softly, As I Leave You,” Priscilla Presley
Priscilla Presley has been so defined by her years with Elvis that the 2023 biopic “Priscilla” ends with their breakup in 1973. But readers of “Softly, As I Leave You” will learn that she forged a long and successful career on her own. She was Bobby Ewing’s ex-fiancee, Jenna Wade, in “Dallas” and the love interest for Leslie Nielsen in the “Naked Gun” spoofs. (Presley appears briefly in the current remake.) She even revealed a knack for marketing. When Elvis’ Graceland estate was in disrepair in the years following his 1977 death, she opened it to the public and helped make the property among the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Currently in a legal battle with a former business partner, Presley also writes of enduring other tragedies besides the death of her ex-husband, notably the loss of daughter Lisa Marie Presley two years ago. (Sept. 23)
“We Love You, Bunny,” Mona Awad Six years ago, Canadian author Mona Awad’s bestselling “Bunny” was praised by Margaret Atwood, among others, for its blend of horror and academic satire set around a clique of creative writing students who call each other “Bunny.” In her follow-up novel, onetime outsider Samantha Heather Mackey is herself a bestselling author and the bunnies have a few things to say about her material. “So funny that you described me as a maniacal hair braider,” one of them tells her. “I laughed until I cried blood.” (Sept. 23)
“The Impossible Fortune,” Richard Osman Richard Osman is an all-around success story, an author, producer and personality who has been a fixture for years in British television. He now enjoys critical acclaim and millions of sales as the creator of the “Thursday Murder Club” mystery novels, in which four pensioners in a retirement community take on cases new and old. The fifth in the series, “The Impossible Fortune,” blends wedding plans and a sudden disappearance that has Osman’s sleuths in search of answers. (Sept. 30)
“Shadow Ticket,” Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Pynchon’s latest novel is his first in more than a decade. Now 88, the author most famous for the epic “Gravity’s Rainbow” has rarely settled for a simple storyline. Like his comic novel “Inherent Vice,” there’s a detective at the center of the narrative, one Hicks McTaggart, who will “find himself also entangled with Nazis, Soviet agents, British counterspies, swing musicians, practitioners of the paranormal, outlaw motorcyclists, and the troubles that come with each of them.” (Oct. 7)
“Unfettered,” John Fetterman
Few Washington legislators are more recognizable than Sen. John Fetterman, the 6-foot-8-inch, hoodie-wearing Pennsylvania Democrat whose physical and mental health struggles and his battles with both Republicans and his own party have kept him in the news since he ran for the Senate in 2022. His publisher, Crown, is calling “Unfettered” a “raw and visceral” and “unapologetic account of his unconventional life.” (Nov. 11)
Museo de las Americas presents hospitalitythemed summer exhibition*
A new summer pop-up exhibition is opening at Museo de las Americas this month, celebrating hospitality in Latin American culture through the work of 18 Colorado artists.
“Museo es tu Casa / Museo is your Home” will be on view through Sept. 21 at the Denver museum. Organizers say the show is a reflection on hospitality as both a cultural and artistic value, expressed through paintings, sculptures, photography, mixed media and found objects.
The works were selected through an open-call process and showcase the personal journeys of Latinx and Chicanx artists, highlighting themes of food, family, generosity, spirituality and connection to the land.
Featured artists include Alfredo J. Cárdenas, Amanda López, Anthony LeCombe, Frank Zamora, Gabriela Carrión, Jaime Chihuan, Kimberly Nick Gutierrez,
Lupita Borjas, Lupita Jimenez, Mariana Pereira Vieira, Martha Saavedra, Maurilio Tapia, Norberto Mojardin, Odalis Canchola, Romelia Carrillo, Rosa Nájera, Ruth Álvarez Luna and Tony Ortega.
The exhibition is located in the Art District on Santa Fe and is one of the cultural organizations featured on the Bloomberg Connects app.
IF YOU GO
When: Aug. 21–Sept. 21; opening reception Aug. 21 at 6 p.m.
Venue: Museo de las Americas, 861
Santa Fe Drive
Tickets: Free Details: museo.org
Denver museum hosts film screening, panel on vaccines
A new documentary and town-hall style discussion on the role of vaccines in public health will take place Sept. 10 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
The event, part of the Trust in Science series, will feature the premiere of “The Plea,” a film by Neil Halloran that chronicles the eradication of smallpox — the only human disease eliminated through global cooperation.
Following the screening, Halloran will join doctors and public health officials for a panel discussion on vaccine science, safety and decision-making. Organizers say the event is designed to foster dialogue about trust in science, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conversations around vaccines.
The program is hosted by the Institute for Science & Policy in partnership with the museum and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus’s Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Initiative.
IF YOU GO
Date: Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m.
Place: Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.
Tickets: $8 members, $12 public
Details and reservations: dmns.org
Denver Botanic Gardens offers mushroom identification course
Aspiring mushroom hunters can learn the basics of safe collection and identification in a new class at Denver Botanic Gardens.
The “Beginning Mushroom Identification” course includes two evening lectures and a field trip, where participants will collect and practice identifying mushrooms in their natural environment. Organizers say the field trip location will be chosen the day before to ensure mushrooms are available.
The course will be taught by Ed Lubow, who has been hunting mushrooms since the 1970s and volunteering with the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi at Denver Botanic Gardens since 2008. Recommended reading is “Mushrooms of the Rocky Mountain Region” by Vera Stucky Evenson and Denver Botanic Gardens.
IF YOU GO
Dates: Aug. 28 and Sept. 4, 6–8 p.m.; Sept. 6, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Venue: Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St.
Tickets: $110-$125
Details: botanicgardens.org
Art in the Park food and market series at the Aurora Highlands
A fusion of art, shopping, food and community are slated for Sept. 6 at Winged Melody Park as part of a free mar-
ket in the park series.
Participants are invited to explore other pieces in the huge, open-air gallery of large-art installations across the park, including “Broken but Together” by Michael Benisty and “The Only Way Out is Through” by Snyder and Olivia Steele.
“Pack your blankets, lawn chairs, and coolers,” organizers say. “Everyone is welcome to bring their own food and drinks, or get treats from nearby food trucks.” This week’s vendors include: The Progressive Pantry, Hooked by Shan, Korf Kreations, Mamas Money My Treats, La Bloom, Corf Coffee Mobile, StephanieH TupperAdvantage, Snowy Leopard Art, Natural Cottage Pantry, Blizzful Beech, Jordan Crafts Co, Mouna’s Boutique.
IF YOU GO
Date: Sept. 6, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m..
Place: Winged Melody Park at Highlands Creek, 24495 E 35th Drive in the Aurora Highlands Tickets: Free Details: theaurorahighlands.com
The Legend of Anne Bonny: A Sapphic Pirate Musical
Anne, an ambitious 18th Century housewife, enters the realm of piracy at the beginning of its very violent end. She runs away on a wanted man’s ship, falls in love with more than her fair share of dubious individuals, and learns that pirates who are captured are forced to betray their kind to live or cling to their legends and die. With a sword at hip and adventure at hand, Anne seems poised to claim everything she has ever wanted, so long as she can avoid a watery grave as well as the hangman’s noose. But Anne’s captain has become the target of a vengeful pirate-turned-hunter. The world whispers around her that those beneath black flags
will soon be doomed. And the quiet young man that Anne has desperately (and secretly) fallen for turns out to be no man at all. The Legend of Anne Bonny is a tribute to dark oceanic folklore, queer women’s history, and all the seafaring heroes and sinners who, in equal parts, were damned. CONTENT WARNINGS: Some loud sudden sounds; domestic violence; use of fog machine.
IF YOU GO
Venue: The People’s Building, 9995 E Colfax Ave.
When: Aug. 23, 24, 28-31 and Sept. 4-6 Curtains vary at 2 p.m. or 7 p.m.
Tickets: $18.82-$44.82
Details: www.thepeoplesbuilding.com
Dixie’s Never Wear a Tube Top While Riding a Mechanical Bull…
Dixie Longate is known for her phenomenal success and hilarious antics in her wildly popular show, “Dixie’s Tupperware Party.” In her new hit show, Ms. Longate has reviewers cheering and audiences on their feet with nonstop laughter. Put on your cowboy boots and walk into her favorite honky-tonk as Dixie shares lessons learned after a hard night of drinking. What do a jeweled crown, a cardboard cutout of Julie Andrews and a box of moon pies have in common? Spend the night with Dixie and find out as she swaps her Tupperware bowls for a mechanical bull.
IF YOU GO
When: Aug. 20–Sept. 7
Where: Garner Galleria Theatre, DCPA in Denver, 1400 Curtis St. Tickets: $56.64 - $88.50
Details: artscomplex.com
HOLDING SERVE Returning state qualifiers, especially in singles, strengthen city in boys
BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor
The 2025 boys tennis season is in full swing and will have a familiar look from last season around Aurora coming off last season’s successful campaign.
Regis Jesuit has finished as the runner-up in the Class 5A team state tournament in each of the past two seasons and is eager to get past rival Cherry Creek to get into the top spot.
Leading the way in that quest is junior Alec Rodriguez-Fields, the defending individual No. 1 singles state champion. Rodriguez-Fields won a three-set clash with previously undefeated Braylon Desquitado of Pine Creek in last season’s final and hopes to take another, which would make him the first 5A boys No. 1 singles player to repeat since former Regis Jesuit star Morgan Schilling in 2019 and 2020.
the last couple of weeks and it’s so heartwarming to have young kids come in with bright eyes and a lot ambition and excitement. It feels like we’re all coming together on the same mission.”
For more on these stories, visit sentinelcolorado. com/preps
The Raiders won’t have Blake and Sebastian Wright — the runners-up at Nos. 2 and 3 singles a year ago — as they chose to spend the year in homeschool and playing travel tournaments, so seniors Clay Dickey and Adam Rydel will move up from the doubles ranks to fill those slots. Dickey played No. 1 singles for two seasons and comes back after placing third at No. 1 doubles a year ago, while Rydel ascends after he was part of a No. 2 doubles team that was a state runner-up last season. Regis Jesuit will feature a number of new faces in doubles play, while junior Edward Samuelson is the most experienced in the group.
“We still have a chance to win state,” Regis Jesuit head coach Laura Jones said. “We don’t have the bodies we thought we’d have, but we’re always contenders. I’ve seen a lot of improvement over
Grandview was the other Aurora area team to qualify for last season’s 5A team state tournament (where it was eliminated by Regis Jesuit) and should be in good contention again thanks to its singles strength. Coach Jeff Ryan’s Wolves have nine returning players, including the trio of senior Justin Son at No. 1 and sophomore twins Kaahan and Krish Wani at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. In their debut season, the Wani brothers both claimed third place. Kaahan Wani won the championship of the Tom Moore Invitational Aug. 22 and lost only six games combined in three matches, while Son finished as the runner-up. Krish Wani missed the tournament has he recovers from injury to start the season and senior Carter Benton — a threetime career state qualifier — moved up and won the No. 3 singles bracket. Benton and sophomore Nathan McIsaac fortify the doubles group with state tournament experience when the lineup returns to usual.
Cherokee Trail also returns all its singles players and all have state tournament experience in seniors Swagat Behara and Sachin Suresh and junior Clark Deleeuw. Behara (a state qualifier in 2023) returns to the No. 1 spot, while Suresh and Deleeuw fills the same No. 2 and 3 positions at which they appeared in at last season’s state tournament. The Cougars got a Tom Moore Invitational championship from its No. 4 doubles team of senior Ethan Yohanes and freshman Kim Taejoo.
Smoky Hill’s two state qualifiers from last season return in junior Kaelen Szumny and senior Pravinh Jaine at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. The Buffaloes will play host to the Amy Howe Memorial tournament Aug. 29 that will again bring together several Aurora area teams.
FOOTBALL
City teams finish 1-2 in Zero Week
Three Aurora area teams opened the season with Week Zero contests and finished a combined 1-2, with the lone victory going to Grandview in a local matchup with Vista PEAK Prep Aug. 22.
On the opening day of the season Aug. 21, Regis Jesuit fell down 28-0 after one quarter to visiting Cherry Creek at Lou Kellogg Stadium and ended up with a 45-10 loss to the defending Class 5A state champions. Sawyer Burruss returned a fumble for a touchdown and then came up with an interception that set up a Jack Manthey field goal to account for the Raiders’ scoring. Logan Singer also had an interception.
Grandview held on for a 42-14 victory over Vista PEAK Prep in front of a large crowd at Aurora Public Schools Stadium. The Wolves got three rushing touchdowns (two from Chris Blanks and another from Neelein Shead Jr.), while quarterback Blitz McCarty threw scoring passes to Timothy Arnold III and Julian Savaloja and Jaxson Flores took a punt return back for a score. In its first game under Kyle Reese as head coach, the Bison scored on a rush by CJ Key Jr. as well as a touchdown pass from Canaan Barthlow to Isaiah Watson.
COUNTRY
CROSS
Cherokee Trail sweeps
individual,
team titles at blazing hot Aurora City Championship meet
In temperatures that got near 100 degrees at the Aurora Sports Park, Cherokee Trail claimed the boys and girls individual and team titles at the annual Aurora City Championship meet Aug. 21.
The boys took the course first and Cherokee Trail’s Dylan Smith led virtually from start to finish on his way to his first individual title with a time of 16 minutes, 58.51 seconds. The Cougars — in their first race under new head coach Jason Dalby — also had had the race’s runner-up in Josh Chadeayne, while Carter Getty (4th), Kenneth English (5th) and Jaxon Webb (7th) made it into the top seven, which earned All-Aurora first team
boys tennis
honors. That group was rounded out by Vista PEAK Prep’s Brandon Pearcy (who placed 3rd) as well as Rangeview’s Gabriel Kaliher, who finished in sixth place.
The girls race belonged to Cherokee Trail freshman Madison Lange, who ran alone for the majority of her first varsity race. Lange crossed the finish line in 19:40.4 to become only the program’s second all-time city girls champion, as she joined back-to-back winner Mckenna Mazeski in the recordbooks. Jade McDaniel, Clara Kapfer and Sophia Lucero finished second, third and fourth, respectively, to earn All-Aurora first team honors, which the Cougars also got from Elle Rollins in seventh place.
Several other Aurora area programs opted to run in the Cheyenne Mountain Stampede a day later instead.
WEEK PAST
The week past in Aurora prep sports
MONDAY, AUG. 25: The Gateway girls volleyball team defeated Rocky Mountain Prep SMART 25-17, 14-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-9 to move to 1-1 on the season. ...The Aurora West College Prep Academy boys soccer team earned a 3-1 win over William Smith with help from keeper Geovany Meza’s four saves. ...Zaya Elliott threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings and had two RBI for the Eaglecrest softball team in a 16-2 win at ThunderRidge, which also saw Haisley Elliott pick up three hits with three RBI and Abby Files homer and drive in a pair. ...The Regis Jesuit field hockey team racked up seven goals in an evening contest at Lou Kellogg Stadium for a 7-0 win over Dakota Ridge. ...Eight Aurora-area boys golf teams played in the City Park Invitational at City Park G.C. and two locals made the top 10 individually in Gregory White of Eaglecrest, who shot a 1-under-par 69 to take 4th, while Smoky Hill’s Reece Nuwash tied for 10th with a 73. ...Brady Davis shot even-par 71 to tie for 6th, while Will Farber’s 73 tied him for ninth as the Regis Jesuit boys golf team tied for 3rd place in the Continental League tournament played at CommonGround G.C. SATURDAY, AUG. 23: The Rangeview boys soccer team downed vis-
FAR LEFT: Grandview’s Julian Savajola, left, hauls in a diving touchdown catch in front of Vista PEAK Prep’s Shakur Walker during the fourth quarter of the Wolves’ 42-14 Week Zero football win over the Bison on Aug. 22 at Aurora Public Schools Stadium. LEFT ABOVE: Regis Jesuit junior Sawyer Burruss (52) celebrates after an interception during the Raiders’ 45-10 loss to Cherry Creek Aug. 21 at Lou Kellogg Stadium. LEFT BELOW: Grandview sophomore Kaahan Wani went 3-0 to win the No. 2 singles championship at the Tom Moore Invitational boys tennis tournament, which was played Aug. 22. ABOVE: Cherokee Trail’s Madison Lange heads into the final mile alone on her way to winning the Aurora City Championship girls cross country race on Aug. 21 at the Aurora Sports Park. Lange’s win helped the Cougars to the team title as well. BELOW: Dylan Smith (806) of Cherokee Trail leads Vista PEAK Prep’s Brandon Pearcy (882) and teammates Josh Chadeayne, back right, and Carter Getty, back left, in the early stages of the Aurora City Championship boys race Aug. 21. Smith pulled away to win the individual title and the Cougars also took the team crown. (Photos by Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel)
iting Summit 4-1 as Julian Cortez and Elias Garcia Jr. scored two goals apiece. ...The Eaglecrest softball team used two five-run rallies on its way to a 12-2 road win at Legacy. Haisley Elliott struke out seven and scattered five hits for the win, while Zaya Elliott had three hits, Ryleigh Stufft homered and joined Giana Vialpando Williams with two RBI. ...The Cherokee Trail softball team finished 3-1 at the Metro State tournament, which included wins over Columbine (9-1) and Ponderosa (11-2) on the final day. Emma Rice and Sydney Cobb picked up a win apiece in the circle, while Cobb had a combined four hits and four RBI and Rice drove in three runs in the two games. Tayah Burton went a combined 5-for-7 and knocked in four runs. ... The Grandview softball team won twice on the last day of the F.A.N. Tournament in Fort Collins as the Wolves defeated Grand Junction Central (7-4) and Grand Junction (7-3). In the win over G.J. Central, Madison Jaramillo homered twice, while Monroe Donaldson’s three hits paced Grandview against Grand Junction and Peyton Rasmussen had two hits in each contest. ...Devyn Davenport homered, drove in five runs and scored four times as the Rangeview softball team tied Mountain View 12-12 as part of an 0-1-1 showing at the Loveland Tournament. Diana Esquivel had a combined five hits and Shannon Henry had four RBI between the contests. ...The Vista PEAK Prep girls flag football team moved to 2-0 with a 42-13 win against Overland, which had won its first two games. Eaglecrest and Regis Jesuit dropped contests to Chatfield and Cherry Creek, respectively. ...FRIDAY, AUG. 22: The Grandview girls volleyball team got a 16-kill effort from Amelie Pigeaire, while Julia Ulitzky added six kills and 34 assists in a 25-23, 19-25, 12-25, 25-19, 15-10 win at Mountain Vista. ...Sydney Cobb allowed just one hit over four innings and the Cherokee Trail softball team downed Lutheran 6-4 at the Metro State tournament. Emma Rice drove in three runs and Izzy Becker tripled among a team-high two hits for the Cougars. ...Regis Jesuit’s Mckenna Groen finished third in the championship girls cross country race at the Cheyenne Mountain Stampede, while Eaglecrest’s Jenna Winn took fifth in the large school race on the state meet course at the Norris
Penrose Event Center. ...The Regis Jesuit girls flag football team edged Eaglecrest 6-0 in a tight local matchup at Legacy Stadium. ...THURSDAY, AUG. 21: The Regis Jesuit girls volleyball team opened the season with a 25-21, 11-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-9 road win against Eaglecrest. ... The Cherokee Trail girls volleyball team pulled off a reverse sweep —20-25, 24-26, 25-15, 25-23, 15-10 — of Ralston Valley. ... In a very tight season opener, the Vista PEAK Prep girls volleyball team outlasted Prairie View 20-25, 25-17, 28-30, 25-23, 23-21. ...The Vista PEAK Prep boys soccer team scored four times in the opening half on a way to a 5-2 win over Eaglecrest ...The Smoky Hill boys soccer team got a man advantage for the majority of the contest with Hinkley due to a red card and took advantage for a 2-0 victory. ...The Grandview boys soccer team blanked Lewis-Palmer 1-0. ...Claire Pariset knocked in three runs, Caitlin Farchild scored three times and Alex Tavlarides struck out 10 as the Regis Jesuit softball team downed Vista PEAK Prep 13-3. ...The Aurora Central softball team scored multiple runs in four innings for an 11-5 win over Jefferson. ...The Rangeview girls flag football team blanked Aurora Central 44-0. ...The Regis Jesuit boys tennis team topped Castle View 6-1 in a Continental League dual. ...WEDNESDAY, AUG. 20: Brooke Sullivan caught two third-quarter touchdown passes from K’Dence Thomas in a 13-6 road win at Regis Jesuit, which got a touchdown pass from Nora Perry to Kaitlyn Buhler. ...The Grandview boys tennis team rolled past Legend 6-1. TUESDAY, AUG. 19: Christi Birx threw a five-inning no-hitter with seven strikeouts as the Grandview softball team blanked Highlands Ranch 130. Sasha Kennedy homered among three hits with three RBI and Maddie Donaldson had three hits for the Wolves. ...The Eaglecrest softball team used a 10-run rally in the second inning on its way to a 17-8 win over Chaparral. ...Rilee Bergquist threw for 194 yards and five touchdowns (two apiece to Goretty Vazquez De Leon and Joanna Byrd) in a 38-0 win at Aurora Central. ...The Regis Jesuit boys golf team finished third — four strokes off the pace — at the Continental League tournament at Meadow Hills G.C. Will Farber’s plus-1 71 put him sixth individually.
INVITATION TO BID
Electronic (PDF) Sealed Competitive Proposals will be received by East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District (ECCV) for the Well A-15S Drilling Project until 5:00 p.m. local time on September 26, 2025. Provide sealed proposals through QuestCDN virtual bid. A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be at the Well A-15S Project site (17767 E Dorado Ave, Centennial, CO 80015) at 9:00 am on September 8, 2025.
The work to be performed under this Contract consists of furnishing all materials, equipment, accessories, and labor for performing all operations necessary to complete the drilling of Well A-15S.
Contract Documents may be obtained electronically starting on August 28, 2025, at www.eccv.org under the Resources and Information menu by clicking on Request for Bids. The user will then enter the bid number 9807367 into the search field and click the search button to find the project. Download the digital documents for $22. Contact QuestCDN Customer Support at 952-233-1632 or info@questcdn.com for assistance in membership registration, downloading digital project information and vBid online bid submittal questions. Project bid documents must be downloaded from QuestCDN which will add your company to the Planholder List and allow access to vBid online bidding for the submittal of your bid (which is required for this project). Bidders will be charged a fee of $42 to submit a bid electronically. For this project, bids will only be received and accepted via the online electronic bid service through QuestCDN.com
The Bidder to whom a contract is awarded will be required to furnish “Performance and Maintenance” and “Labor and Material Payment” bonds to the District. The “Performance and Maintenance” and “Labor and Material Payment” bonds shall be furnished in the amount of 100 percent of the contract, in conformity with the requirements of the Contract Documents.
The District reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, or to accept that proposal or combination of proposals, if any, which in its sole and absolute judgment, will under all circumstances best serve the District’s interest. No proposal will be accepted from any firm, person, or corporation, who is a defaulter as to surety or otherwise, or is deemed incompetent, irresponsible, or unreliable by the District Board of Directors.
Contractor shall be prepared to participate in an interview if so desired by the Owner as soon as the afternoon of the second business day following the date that bids are due. No proposals will be considered which are received after the time indicated above, and any proposals so received after the scheduled closing time shall remain unopened.
East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District
First Publication: August 28, 2025
Final Publication: September 4, 2025 Sentinel LEGAL NOTICE - I119, O119
Rocky Mountain Self Storage
Auction of Tenant’s Personal Property
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to the person herein after named and to all whom it may concern. The contents of the following units are subject to our lien for non-payment of rent and other charges.
You are denied access to your unit. You can redeem such goods on or before 3pm on 9/5/2025. The goods you have stored after this time will be sold at auction to the highest bidder. The auction will run several days before and up to the date of the auction and will be held ONLINE at www. storageauctionsolutions.com. The facility/ auctioneer reserves the right to cancel a sale at any time for any reason.
Christopher James Vet, Unit I119 - household goods
Victor Valdez, Unit O119 - clothing, floor tiles Auctioneer: Storage Auction Solutions; www.storageauctionsolutions.com
Publication: August 28, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to § 38-26-107, C.R.S., that on September 11, 2025 final settlement with Grasmick Electric Corp., will be made by East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District for the 2022 Well Rehabilitation Project subject to satisfactory final inspection and
acceptance of said facilities by the District. Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender, or other supplies used or consumed by such contractor or his or her subcontractor in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that supplies, laborers, rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work whose claim therefore has not been paid by the contractor or subcontractor, at any time up to and including the time of final settlement for the work contracted to be done, may file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on such claim with East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District, c/o, Mr. Dave Kaunisto, District Manager, 6201 S. Gun Club Road, Aurora, Colorado 80016. Failure to file such verified statement or claim prior to final settlement will release the District and its employees and agents from any and all liability for such claim and for making final payment to said contractor.
East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District
First Publication: August 28, 2025 Final Publication: September 4, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF HEARING ON INCLUSION
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there has been filed with the Board of Directors of the Green Valley Ranch East Metropolitan District No. 12, City of Aurora, Adams County, Colorado, a petition praying for the inclusion of certain property into the boundaries of the Green Valley Ranch East Metropolitan District No. 12. All interested persons are hereby notified that they should appear at a public meeting on Friday, August 29, 2025, at 9:30 A.M., The Zoom video conference link will be posted on the official website of the District: https://gvremd.specialdistrict.org/ and via telephone conference at Dial-In: 1-719-359-4580, Meeting ID: 897 1862 2226, Passcode: 143217, and show cause in writing why the petition should not be granted.
The name and address of the petitioner and the general description of the property proposed for inclusion in the petition is as follows:
PETITIONER: CLAYTON PROPERTIES GROUP, INC.
ADDRESS: 4908 TOWER ROAD DENVER, CO 80249
PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: LOT 1, BLOCK 1, WINDLER SUBDIVISION RECORDED DECEMBER 27, 1972 AT RECEPTION NO. 984962, IN THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO, SITUATED IN THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 13, TOWNSHIP 3 SOUTH, RANGE 66 WEST, SIXTH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, CITY OF AURORA, SAID COUNTY AND STATE.
A full and complete legal description of the properties petitioned for inclusion are on file at the offices of Icenogle Seaver Pogue, P.C., 4725 S. Monaco Street, Suite 360, Denver, Colorado 80237 and is available for public inspection during regular business hours 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: GREEN VALLEY RANCH EAST METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 12 By: ICENOGLE SEAVER POGUE
A Professional Corporation General Counsel to the District Publication: August 28, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF VACANCY ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE PARK 70 METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, and particularly to the electors of the Park 70 Metropolitan District of Adams County, Colorado. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 32-1-808, C.R.S. that a vacancy currently exists on the Board of Directors of the Park 70 Metropolitan District (“District”). Any qualified, eligible elector of the District interested in filling such vacancy and serving on the Board of Directors should file a Letter of Interest with the Board of Directors of the District on or before the close of business on November 11, 2025 at the District Management office. Forms of Letters of Interest are available and can be obtained from the Park 70 Metropolitan District, c/o David Solin at Special District Management Services, Inc., 141 Union Boulevard, Suite 150, Lakewood, Colorado 80228, (303) 987-0835.
PARK 70 METROPOLITAN DISTRICT By: /s/ David Solin
Secretary
Publication: August 28, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO NON-CUSTODIAL
PARENT BY PUBLICATION
Case No. 2025CV31542
In the Matter of the Petition of:
Parent/Petitioner: Veronica Hardy Mitchell Brunson for
Minor Child: Kennedy Jade Sarchet Cannon to Change the Child’s Name to: Kennedy Jade Sarchet Larsen
Notice to: Emery Steven Cannon, non-custodial parent.
Notice is given that a hearing is scheduled as follows:
Date: September 22, 2025 Time: 9:45 AM Location: Arapahoe County District Court Division 24 Webex
for the purpose of requesting a change of name for Kennedy Jade Sarchet Cannon.
At this hearing the Court may enter an order changing the name of the minor child.
To support or voice objection to the proposed name change, you must appear at the thearing.
Date: August 6, 2025
/s/ Veronica Brunson
Kaelyn W. Bourgeois
Atty Reg. #: 60808
8 W. Dry Creek Cir. Ste. 202 Littleton, CO 80120
Phone: 720-773-2900
Email: kaelyn@hulselawfirm.com
First Publication: August 28, 2025
Final Publication: September 11, 2025
Sentinel
NOTIFICATION OF PUBLIC
DISPOSITION OF COLLATERAL UG CONSTRUCTION, INC.
dba EMERALD CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, INC.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, per Cal. Comm. Code § 9601 et seq., secured party Gemini Finance Corp. will sell the following “Collateral” owned by debtor UG Construction, Inc. dba Emerald Construction Management, Inc.:
(i) All goods, including, (A) machinery, equipment, computers, motor vehicles, trucks, tanks, boats, ships, appliances, furniture, special and general tools, fixtures, test and quality control devices and other equipment of every kind and nature and wherever situated; (B) inventory; (ii) contract rights and other general intangibles; (iii) accounts; (iv) documents, letter-of-credit rights, instruments and chattel paper; (v) commercial tort claims; (vi) deposit accounts and all cash; (vii) investment property; (viii) supporting obligations; and (ix) files, records, books of account, business papers, and computer programs; and (x) the products and proceeds of all the foregoing Collateral.
Collateral will be sold to highest qualified bidder at a public sale on Sept. 4, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. PDT, at Financial Law Group, 5656 La Jolla Blvd.,La Jolla, CA 92037. For more information, contact Leslie Gladstone, (858) 454-0887, LeslieG@flgsd. com.
Publication: August 28, 2025 Sentinel REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS/ PROPOSALS
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Prairie Point Community Authority Board is soliciting qualifications and proposals from qualified contractors to be selected as the Antelope Creek Channel Reconstruction Contractor for the Prairie Point Project in Aurora, CO.
Interested proposers may obtain copies of the Request for Qualifications/Proposals by emailing Cliff Castro, Senior Land Project Manager, at CCastro@oakwoodhomesco.com. Documents are expected to be available beginning on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
Qualification/Proposal submittals must be submitted in the manner set forth in the RFQ/P before 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Friday, September 19, 2025. Qualifications/Proposals will not be accepted after the foregoing submission deadline. Information on a public bid opening, if any, will
be set forth in the Request for Qualifications/Proposals.
For further information contact: Cliff Castro Senior Land Project Manager, Oakwood Homes CCastro@oakwoodhomesco.com
Publication: August 28, 2025
Sentinel
SKY DANCE METROPOLITAN
DISTRICT NOS. 1 AND 2
NOTICE CONCERNING 2024 BUDGET AMENDMENTS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested parties that the necessity has arisen to amend the 2024 Budgets of Sky Dance Metropolitan District Nos. 1 and 2. Copies of the proposed Amended 2024 Budgets have been filed at the Districts’ offices, 141 Union Boulevard, Suite 150, Lakewood, Colorado 80228, where the same are available for public inspection; and that adoption of Resolutions Amending the 2024 Budgets will be considered at a public hearing of the Boards of Directors of the Districts to be held on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. via video / teleconference (Zoom).
You can attend the meeting virtually using the following information: 1. To attend via Videoconference use the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5469119353?pwd=SmtlcHJETFhCQUZEcVBBOGZVU3Fqdz09
2. To attend via telephone, dial 1-719-3594580 and enter the following additional information:
Meeting ID: 546 911 9353
Passcode: 912873
Any interested elector of the Districts may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the 2024 Amended Budgets, inspect the 2024 Amended Budgets or register any objections thereto.
SKY DANCE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOS. 1 AND 2
By /s/ David Solin Secretary
Publication: August 28, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801 Case No. 2025PR327
Estate of Betty D. Nelson, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 11, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Terri Lea Nelson
Personal Representative 2231 S. Vaughn Way, Unit 215-B Aurora, CO 80014
First Publication: August 14, 2025
Final Publication: August 28, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2024PR550
Estate of Michael Edwin Ardoin, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before September 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Edwin A. Ardoin
Personal Representative 91 S. Sable Blvd., Unit F12 Aurora, CO 80012
First Publication: August 14, 2025
Final Publication: August 28, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR270
Estate of Linda Blanche Fisher, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before December 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
James Hogan
Personal Representative 2629 Ash st. Denver, CO 80207
First Publication: August 28, 2025
Final Publication: September 11, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30473
Estate of Roxanne Cheryl Harper aka Roxanne C. Harper, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado, on or before December 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Paula K. Thompson,
Personal Representative
c/o HUTCHINSON BLACK AND COOK,
LLC
Attorneys for the Estate of Roxanne Cheryl Harper 921 Walnut Street, Suite 200 Boulder, CO 80302 303-442-6514
First Publication: August 21, 2025
Final Publication: September 4, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30532
Estate of Grant Thomas Hilti aka Grant T. Hilti aka Grant Hilti, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado, on or before December 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Kelly Lee Beaver
Personal Representative
c/o HUTCHINSON BLACK AND COOK, LLC
Attorneys for the Estate of Grant Thomas Hilti 921 Walnut Street, Suite 200 Boulder, CO 80302
303-442-6514
First Publication: August 21, 2025
Final Publication: September 4, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30569
Estate of Robert Duane Johnson, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado, on or before December 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Jennifer Loomis
Personal Representative
2992 Cub Lake Dr. Loveland, CO 80538
First Publication: August 28, 2025
Final Publication: September 11, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30721
Estate of Susan Lee Thomas aka Susan L. Thomas aka Susan Thomas, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before December 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Suzanne L. Suter
Personal Representative 10730 Mount Antero Way Parker, CO 80138
First Publication: August 21, 2025
Final Publication: September 4, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR75
Estate of Steven Vincent Ans, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before December 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Sarah Nicole Petty Personal Representative 919 S. Dawson Way, #16 Aurora, CO 80012
First Publication: August 28, 2025 Final Publication: September 11, 2025
Editorials Sentinel
Trump’s military theatrics don’t detract from his failures
Amid the bloviated threats Donald Trump has inflicted on the nation, especially since becoming president again in January, his latest cosplay meant to distract the nation from his failed policies and leadership are among the most dangerous and offensive to Americans.
Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops into Washington, D.C. was created for optics to please his TV audience on Fox News and other pro-Trump media and anger proponents of American democracy.
Savvy Americans aren’t fooled. This latest stunt is political theater, not a serious strategy to address crime. And in staging this spectacle, Trump is once again undermining the Constitution, the law, and the very concept of democracy.
Trump stood before armed troops and federal officers last week and declared: “We’re not playing games. We’re going to make it safe.”
Reality tells a different story. Violent crime in Washington has dropped significantly since its pandemic-era peak, reflecting the broader nationwide decline. FBI statistics show murders fell nearly 15% last year.
Many Democratic-led cities Trump has threatened to “clean up,” including Denver, are also seeing reductions in violent crime.
So, too, are the Republican led cities that actually lead the list of most violent crime cities in the country, such as Memphis, Tenn. and Dayton, Ohio.
The supposed “crime wave” is a convenient fiction, a prop for Trump’s authoritarian play meant to distract the nation from his driving up the cost of living with tariff chaos and his obsession with trying to upend the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
What is not fiction is the unprecedented military presence in the nation’s capital. Thousands of National Guard troops are patrolling streets, setting up checkpoints, and, in some cases, carrying firearms.
Daycare centers have closed. Families fear sending their children to school. This is not the restoration of public order. It is an intimidation campaign that injects fear into daily life. This is not America.
The Posse Comitatus Act, a post-Reconstruction safeguard, bars the use of the U.S. military to enforce domestic laws. The reason is clear. It’s to prevent people like Trump from riding over the rights of citizens as well as state and local government, just as he’s doing right now.
Trump is exploiting a loophole because of Washington’s partial federal status, but the spirit of the law is clear: America does not station soldiers on city streets. That principle has protected this country from military rule for nearly 150 years. Trump is now eroding it as a lark.
The irony of his folly would be comical if it weren’t so dangerous.
A convicted felon, found guilty of falsifying records to cover up criminal conduct, now postures as the nation’s sheriff. The same man who incited the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, an insurrection that left police officers beaten and bloodied, now sends in military police and lectures others on law and order.
Trump’s contempt for the law is not hypothetical. It is a matter of public record and ploy. His current show of force is less about protecting citizens than about fictionizing his own presidency.
The racial undertones of this deployment cannot be ignored. Trump has fixated on majority-minority cities led by Black mayors and Democratic governors, describing them as “filthy” and dangerous. Baltimore, Chicago, and New York are his next targets, he boasts. Notably absent from his threats are Republican-led cities or majority-white communities, such as Dayton. Civil rights leaders like the Rev. Al Sharpton are correct: this is about profiling and race, cloaked in the language of public safety.
Elected officials across the country, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, have called this what it is: a manufactured crisis and a political stunt. They are right. Trump is abusing the men and women of the National Guard as pawns. He is inflating the perception of crime to distract from his own failures on inflation, health care, and governance. And he is testing how far he can stretch presidential power to impose his will on American cities.
If he were truly impassioned to solve a long list of urban crises, he could coordinate with states to call out the national guard to care for poor, elderly residents, recently shafted by deep cuts to Medicaid, imposed by Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” Guardsmen could be stationed in schools to help tutor children, especially in poor areas, who fell behind during the pandemic and have yet to catch up. If Trump were seriously concerned about crime in large cities, he could champion ways to send cash so cities like Aurora, Chicago and others could fund youth-violence prevention programs and hire more local police officers to successfully, and legally, combat crime.
The American people should not be fooled. Militarizing cities will not stop the sale of illegal drugs, linked to murders. It will not make families safer. What it will do is normalize the presence of armed troops in civilian life, erode public trust in democratic institutions, and move the United States one step closer to authoritarian rule.
Trump seems to relish the criticism.
“Because I sent in people to stop crime, they said, ‘He’s a dictator,’” he told one radio host. But this is not about name-calling. It is about the Constitution. Presidents are not dictators. They are not warlords. They do not use the military as props in campaign ads. They are sworn to uphold the law.
Trump’s use of soldiers as stagehands in his law-and-order melodrama is a betrayal of that oath. It insults the service members asked to play along. It insults the citizens forced to live under military patrols. And it insults the memory of every American who has fought to keep the military out of civilian life.
Crime is a serious issue, one that deserves serious solutions: investment in communities, reform of policing, stronger education and economic opportunity, and collaboration across parties and jurisdictions. What Trump offers instead is a spectacle that jeopardizes the safety and freedoms of the very people he claims to defend.
MIKE ROSEN, GUEST COLUMNIST
Flock cameras help cops, not crooks
Acriminal repeat-offender steals a car in Englewood, which is later identified by police at the Castle Rock Outlets using drone technology. Three police officers drive through the parking lot and blockade the perpetrator as he gets into the driver’s seat of the stolen car. The perp then rams through the three police vehicles and at least one parked car “treating the shopping center like a racetrack,” according to a 23rd Judicial District deputy prosecutor.
The high-speed chase lasts for a few more minutes and ends with one officer crashing his police vehicle head-on into the stolen car. Then the perp flees on foot but is shortly captured. This all happened in January 2022. Just a few weeks ago that criminal, Roy Allen Elliot-Casaus, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle theft, assault on a police officer, and vehicular eluding. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison to be served consecutively with a six-year sentence for an unrelated crime in another county.
Personally, I like cops and don’t like robbers. And I’m a long-time TV viewer of “Chicago PD,” where Sgt. Hank Voight and his squad use surveillance cameras and all kinds of modern technology to catch criminals. Justice being served and the conclusion of the above story owes its success to the Flock cameras that first identified that stolen vehicle.
The Atlanta- based Flock Safety company’s crime-fighting systems are highly-valued by law-enforcement agencies nationwide for solving vehicle thefts, jewelry store robberies, missing persons, kidnappings, human trafficking, etc. There are more than a hundred Flock automated license plate readers (ALPRs) at intersections across the Denver metro area that photograph and record details, including GPS location, of every passing vehicle. A “hot list” of all “wanted” license plates in Colorado and nationwide is stored in the Flock system. When a vehicle with a “hot list” plate enters an intersection, officers may receive an alert notification within 16-seconds.
Commander Jacob Herrera, head of DPD’s auto theft program, credits Denver’s 12-month pilot program with Flock for dropping auto thefts from more than 12,000 in 2023 to 8,550, with 289 arrests made, 170 vehicles recovered, along with 29 firearms. They’ve even helped in Denver homicide cases. Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly says, “Tools like Flock are force multipliers that allow us to fight crime proactively and effectively.” The Thornton Police Department also praised the system and Arapahoe County approved a Flock extension and the addition of 17 new cameras.
Guess what? Feckless Denver Mayor Michael Johnston and the usual left-wing Democrat radicals on the Denver City Council are dumping Flock, rejecting a two-year contract extension. Why? Because of paranoid concerns about mass surveillance, invasion of privacy, and potential targeting of illegal immigrants. About the latter, I think illegal immigrants ought to be targeted just like anyone else who’s breaking the law.
Anti-police activist Kristen Seidel of the socalled Denver Task Force to Reimagine Policing and Public Safety delivered a petition with 1,336 signatures to Johnston’s office insisting that all of the city’s Flock camera’s be immediately turned off. Wow, 1,336 ignorant people, what a landslide!! The left-wing and woke American Civil Liberties Union – whose political agenda excludes property rights – doesn’t want Flock cameras to be used “disproportionally” in low-income areas or communities of color. But the great majority of law-abiding folks in these areas are the ones disproportionally victimized by criminals. On balance, low-income areas and communities of color will benefit from the Flock systems.
A libertarian critic of Flock’s cameras concerned about invasion of privacy, equated Flock’s cameras with Big Brother’s mass surveillance of the populace in Geroge Orwell’s classic, dystopian novel “1984.” But the secret cameras in that totalitarian government’s TV screens were in everyone’s homes! Flock’s cameras are only in public venues where law-abiding citizens have nothing to hide.
The Fourth Amendment’s protection of privacy is not absolute. Yes, crime-fighting surveillance tools have pros, cons, and tradeoffs that need to be weighed. For example, the mass search of travelers at airports without “probable cause” is permitted to make it more difficult in the future for terrorists to hijack planes and crash them into places like the Pentagon and World Trade Center or blowing them up in mid-air. I think that’s a reasonable trade off.
There is a danger that mass public surveillance by government can be carried too far. So, let’s be vigilant about not letting that happen. The anti-Flock paranoia of Denver’s progressive politicians and activists goes way beyond vigilance.
LongtimeKOAradiotalkhostandcolumnist fortheDenverPostandRockyMountainNews MikeRosennowwritesforCompleteColorado. com.
Puzzles
competency is raised, courts are required by state law to dismiss the charges if a defendant is incompetent and unlikely to be restored or to maintain competency.”
A district attorney does not have “authority to hold a defendant in custody until fit to stand trial,” she said in the statement.
“Only the Judge has that authority, and I am speaking with victims and other community leaders to advocate for changes in the statute,” she said in the statement.
Padden pointed out that the defendant in the case is not free but is in mental hospital custody.
The recall statement from the proponents finished by saying it all happened in Padden’s first six months.
“These decisions favor the accused over public safety,” the proponent statement said. “It’s time to recall District Attorney Amy Padden and demand a justice system that protects Arapahoe County and honors victims like Kaitlyn.”
Padden’s response
Padden’s response directly refers to the proponent’s statement and says that she has focused on seeking justice for victims and making communities safer.
“In the past six months, we obtained a life sentence for the Aurora dentist who poisoned his wife,” Padden said in the statement, referring to James Craig, who admitted to killing his wife and trying to make it look like a suicide.
“A 36-year-to-life sentence for a human trafficker,” Padden said in the recall statement.
This sentencing is talking about Kenneth Noel, a 39-year-old Texan man who was caught trying to smuggle two 14-year-olds and an adult female to Nevada in a human trafficking case. Noel, who was 34 at the time, was pulled over in Arapahoe County in 2020 for what prosecutors said was a routine traffic stop. He was charged with trafficking minors and an adult, pimping and sex assault of a minor.
“And a 99-year-to-life sentence for a kidnapping and sexual assault case,” she said in the statement.
Khafre Buxton, 37, received a 99-year-to-life sentence after robbing a La Quinta Inn six days before Christmas in 2020. He then kidnapped the front desk clerk and assaulted her.
“We have filed thousands and tried over 100 cases this year, including homicides, DUIs, domestic violence, financial crimes and sexual assault,” Padden’s statement said. “During 2025, car
theft rates and homicide rates have decreased, and I will soon announce a new initiative to combat a recent increase in vehicular homicides.
I also sought and obtained additional resources to support victims, including 10 additional employees to ensure the orderly transition of domestic violence cases that the Aurora City Council shifted to my office.”
The Aurora City Council voted to remove misdemeanor domestic cases from their municipal court this year and send them to district courts. The 18th Judicial District was scheduled to receive the majority of the cases since Arapahoe County accounts for a significant portion of Aurora. The 18th also received far less funding than they expected this year after a significant deficit in the Colorado State revenue. Because of these factors, the 18th has been concerned with the added case load and whether it will be handled with the required level of care.
“We also added an additional staff member to assist victims seeking compensation and support services,” Padden said. “I have met with victims personally to ensure that I am seeking justice for them and will continue to do so throughout my term.”
Obituary
Kimie Kae Shanahan
April 3, 1946 - August 21, 2025
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kimie Kae (Woodward) Shanahan. Devoted mother and grandmother, Kimie spent her final days surrounded by family and friends. She will be deeply missed. No services are scheduled.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to: https://www.macular.org/want-to-help/donate
Obituary
Daniel Eugene “Frances” Dailey
February 22, 1956 - August 21, 2025
For my true love bunny…
My dearest, truest love. I will miss you so. You completed me and made me alive.
Daniel Eugene Dailey, born February 22, 1956, in Carroll, Iowa. He passed peacefully in Bella Vista, Arkansas, on August 21, 2025 surrounded by friends, family, and neighbors. He was loved by many. Dan had a heart full of pure love shielded by a badge. He was a protector and a provider. Dan was a good, honest, caring man whose heart felt deeply for those around him.
Dan’s first journey of service began in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era. After his military service, he joined the Aurora, Colorado Police Department, where he proudly served for 32 years, retiring as a police detective. His calm demeanor, sharp wit, and unwavering courage made him a natural in his role.
He served in leadership roles with the Aurora Police Protection Association and the Aurora Police Association, including as President, Grievance Steward, and Trustee. Through these roles, he worked tirelessly to improve conditions and morale for his fellow officers and the broader community. Dan was a man of principle, humor, and deep compassion—especially when it came to his beloved pets. He could crack a joke at just the right moment, even in the toughest situations.
Dan was the proud father of four children: Stacey (Chad), Ben (Emily), Joshua (Samantha), and Caitlin. He was also a loving grandfather to ten grandchildren: Kendra, Kalee, Kara, Kaci, Kolbi, Kamri, Alice, William, Eliseaauna, and Madeline. Being “Papa Dan” was his favorite title of all. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Ellen Dailey of Carroll, Iowa; his brother, Air Force Private Dean Allen Dailey; his brother, David Joseph Dailey of Newton, Iowa; and his sister, Debbie Marie Jekel. He was survived by his siblings: Diane and Terry Olsen, Dori Rotert and Jon, Dawn Dailey, and Douglas and Darcy Dailey.
When he wasn’t in uniform, Dan loved life to the fullest. He could often be found teeing off on the golf course, tearing up trails on his dirt bike, or hollering at the TV during a Denver Broncos game. He brought his competitive spirit, big grin, and boundless energy to every hobby, every conversation, and every relationship.
In his passing, Dan gave the ultimate gift—his body to science. Having battled multiple rare and complicated neurological conditions, Dan hoped that research through the Genesis Organization could bring understanding and healing to others. Even in death, his compassion and selflessness endured.
In Dan’s true fashion, the family invites everyone to raise a glass, cheer on the Broncos, or take a ride down an open road in his honor.
